Brad Stevens has come out and said that Marcus Morris will not play against the 76ers
Marcus Morris was finally able to return to the Boston Celtics, and had his first day of practice. He talked about hoping to suit up against the Philadelphia 76ers, but it appears that will not be the case.
Brad Stevens spoke about wanting to give Morris more time before getting into preseason action, and hopes that he will be able to play on Monday. (Via MassLive).
This continues to show how difficult it will be for Morris to claim that starting position. Even if he may be the best player for that spot, he is going to have the least amount of chemistry of anyone on this team, and there is a good chance that he will not be in as good shape.
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It will take time for Stevens to figure out how he needs to use Morris with the starters, or the second unit, and until then he will not be as trusted as these other players.
After Aron Baynes did a great job of bringing the exact kind of stability and paint presence they need in the first preseason game, it would take a crazy turnaround for Morris to be able to take that spot from him.
It is a shame that we do not get to see what Morris can do on this team, but the Celtics have proven that they will be patient every step of the way. Stevens knows that things will not be fully resolved in preseason, and even if this holds him back in the short run, it will allow Morris to be in a better position to prove his value when he finally does get on the court.
In the end, this will not prevent Morris from having an impact on the team. The starting position was far from a lock for him, and if he is the best player for that spot, all this may do is prolong the process of being put in that position.
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This rotation could be going through a lot of changes throughout the season, and Morris could end up going through the most drastic transformations.